Improvement in apparatus for charging gas-retorts



T. F. ROWLAND. 7 Apparatus for Charging Gas Retorts. No. 137,485 Paten'tedAprilhl iB73.

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THOMAS F. ROWLAND, OF GREEN POINT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING GAS-RETORTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,485, dated April 1, 1873; application filed February 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. ROWLAND,

' of Green Point, Kings county, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Gas-Works, being an apparatus for carrying coal and depositing it in suitable charging apparatus for charging the retorts, of which the following is a specification:

I provide buckets adapted to receive the charges of coal laterally at the proper point, and carry them by means of a suspended railway along the fronts of the retorts, dropping the coal automatically at the required points by opening the bottoms of the several buckets.

The following is a description of what 1 consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section. The central portion is broken away, and only the two ends are shown. It may be understood to be indefinitely prolonged, according to the length of the retort-house. Fig. 2 is a diagram or partial horizontal section, showing a portion of the apparatus in plan.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section. The additional figures represent certain details on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a view of the bottom of a bucket. The strong lines show the trap-door closed, and the dotted lines show it open. Fig. 5 is a View of the same parts at right angles to the last described.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the fixed frame-work, a portion of which, marked A, is a suspended railway, depending from a strong roof, and extending along the front of the retorts at a proper distance therefrom to allow the depositing of the loads of coal in the retort-chargin g apparatus, the prominent features of which are represented. The charging apparatus, as also the mechanism for raking or emptying the retorts, are set forth in my several other applications for patent, and need not be here minutely described. Bis a steam-engine, giving motion by means of gearing, as represented, to a stout drum, 0, mounted on a vertical shaft, 0. There is a corresponding idledrum, G at or-near the opposite end of the retort-house. D D are long and practically homogeneous bands of steel or other suitable material, having sufficient flexibility. They form with the buckets interposed continuous bands, which extend horizontally around the two drums G and U The turning of the drum 0 by the engine B compels both belts D D with their attached buckets, to traverse slowly up and down the whole length of the retort-house. E E, &c., are the buckets for receiving and transporting the coal. Their lower portions are cylindrical, and of sufficient size to retain the load of coal which they are to carry. Their upper portions are of somewhat smaller diameter and semi-cylindrical. They form the means of suspension for the lower portion, and serve as guides to receive and direct downward the charges of coal which are successively received as they pass around the drum (3. The bottom of each bucket is somewhat contracted and provided with a hinged trap-door, E turning on hinges e, andadapted to be held in a closed position by means of a locking-lever, F, which turns on the hinge f, and is formed in two parts, with a bar, F, connecting them at the proper level to pass under the cross-bar E which forms a part of the trap-door E The swinging frame or looking-lever F extends considerably below the cross-bar E and is bent, as represented, and carries a roller, G, which performs two functions-first, that of an anti-friction roller to make the roller contact with suitable stops to turn the lever and allow the trap-door E to drop; second, as a weight, to cause the lever F to stand forcibly in the right position to hold the lever E engaged. The lower face of the trap-door E has, furthermore, two curved depressions, e e, which are adapted to receive the contact of any suitable stops or fixed parts, which may be furnished or not with anti-friction rollers by which the trap-door E, with its cross-bar E may be closed. A stout arm extending up from each bucket carries aroller orwheel, which runs on the suspended railwayA and supports the weight.

The slow rotation of the drums G and O and the consequent slow traversing motion of the belts D D cause the buckets E, with their loads of coal, to move with a constant motion along the line of the railway A. The chargin g apparatus, which I will designate by the single letter M, will be moved from time to time into various positions along the line, but, wherever it may be at the time, it presents a roller, m, which is adapted to act against the roller G and cause the lever I to be deflected and the trap-door E to drop at the proper moment to deposit the entire contents of the bucket E in the hopper of the charging-machine. When the heavy trap door E has swung down into a perpendicular position, its further motion is suddenly arrested by the constructionof its joint 6, so that its sudden arrest will impart a jar or shaking motion to the entire bucket. This aids to insure against the coal being ever retained by arching in the lower contracted portion of the bucket.

A bucket, E, having been thus emptied travels idly down the remainder of the line, and, passing around the drum 0 returns with the returning motion of the belt. When it is near the drum O the depressions e e strike against two rollers, H, properly placed to effect the closing of the trap-door E. In this closing motion the beveled end of the crossbar E acts first against the roller G, and then against the locking cross-piece I", which latter is preferably armed with a roller to reduce the friction, and by these actions deflects the lever F until the door E is tightly closed, in which position the locking-lever F sinks and confines it.

The inner face of the semi-cylindrical upper portion of each bucket is closed near its top and bottom by curved pieces d d which form, in effect, continuations of the belts D D They are curved to exactly conform to the periphery of the drums G and 0 They fit closely thereto in passing around each drum, and may be provided,'if preferred, as also may the entire length of each drum, with holes or indentations receiving spurs on the drums to guarantee against any possible slipping. It is important to provide by some such obvious means (not represented) against either a sudden or gradual slipping, and to insure that the several buckets shall be always presented in uniform positions on the drums, more especially on the main drum 0. The charge to fill the buckets is introduced from the interior of the drum, being supplied to the drum at the center above and conducted to the open inner faces of the upper portions of the buckets through inclined chutes with proper controlling wheels or gates. I is a fixed hopper, through which the coal is supplied. 0 is a cylindrical mouth embracing the bottom of the hopper, turning with and forming a part of the drum 0. It forms the upper bearing of the drum. The coal received from the hopper I fills the mouth 0 and is measured off and delivered into the inclined chutes O G by means of revolving gates or measuring-wheels J K.

The measuring mechanism is alike on the two sides. In each the upper gate J turns into a position to allow the coal to pass'it, while the lower gate K is in a position which arrests the coal. In this condition the coal flows down past the upper gate J and fills the space between J and K. Then the upper gate J turns into a closed position, and the lower gate K opens and allows the coal thus measured off to be discharged into one of the buckets. This discharging operation takes place during the period while the bucket E is held with the open inner face of its upper portion presented to the drum 0 in the proper position to receive the coal.

The gates J K are each in the form of a partial cylinder. They are each provided with strong cutting-knives adapted to crush and divide any coal which may stand in the way, and they are turned by mechanism (not represented) operated by the engine B;

I prefer that the coal shall be broken or crushed to a small size before being introduced in the hopper I 5 but I believe that the apparatus may be worked successfully with tolera-v bly large and irregularly-sized coal.

An endless-belt elevator, such as has been successfully operated in Heckers fiouring-mill in New York city for the last ten years, is employed to elevate the coal from'a suitable pit and deposit it in the hopper I. The upper wheel of the elevator is indicated by L, and the buckets carried on the endless belt by l l.

The coal brought up by the buckets l is led into the hopper I by means of a chute, L.

The engineer sits in a convenient position,

preferably near the engine B, where he can notwithstanding such supervision, the hopperj of the charging machinery M is likely to get too full, and the parties in attendance thereon 1 do not desire to receive a bucketful of coal which is arriving, they can move the roller m temporarily out of the way, and thus allow the bucket of coal to pass. In such case the bucket goes unemptied, and, passing around the idle-drum 0 comes back unloaded. It is desirable to empty and again close the bottom in order to present the bucket in a proper condition to receive a further charge of coal. To insure that the bucket is empty on arriving at the drum 0 I provide an emptying-roller, O, mounted on a fixed portion of the framework, which stands in the proper position to touch the weighted roller G, and thus'trip the lever F, provided it has not been previously This safety emptyin g-roller O is represented near the main roller 0. This having been passed, the empty bucket I tripped by the roller m.

next passes the closing-rollers H, which act on the surfaces 6 on the lower face of the door E and close it, as has been already described.

I claim as my invention 1. The series of buckets E supported on a railway, A, suspended in the retort-house,with connecting means carried on drums O 0 combined and arranged to serve, relatively to the gas-reto'rts and the charging means M therefor, as herein specified.

2. In connection with the above, the construction of the buckets E with the upper portion curved to match to the peripheries of the drums, and with openings therein adapted to receive the loads from the interior of a drum, as herein specified.

3. The trap-door E with its holding means E 'F G mounted on the traversing-buckets E, in combination with the tripping device m carried on the charger M, all arranged for joint operation, as and for the purposes specified.

4. The safety opening device 0, arranged, as shown, relatively to the traversing-buckets E, filling means 0 G and movable charging apparatus M, and tripping device 112, as herein specified.

5. The construction of the drum 0 with a receiving-mouth, G at the center of the top, and with chutes 0 adapted to lead the coal from the said mouth to the several buckets, as herein specified.

6. The gates J K with suitable operating means, in combination with the revolving chutes O and series of traversing-buckets E, substantially as herein specified.

7. The elevator L L, hopper I, arranged, as represented, relatively to the revolving mouth 0 branched chutes O controlling means J K, and traversing-buckets E, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of February, 1873, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS F. ROWLAND.

Witnesses WM. 0. DEY, ALFD. WESTBROOK. 

